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Pamela Penney Textile Arts

Fiber, textiles, yarn and color have always been an integral part of life for Pamela Penney. Her mother was an accomplished seamstress and quilter and had a large trunk of fabric that Pam would explore as a young girl. She loved playing with the colors and the textures. Pam soon begged her mother to teach her to knit and sew at a very young age and both have been a passion for Pam ever since. In high school Pam began to design and create her own garments combining sewing and knitting techniques. Her interest in art, color, design, math and physics led Pam to study architecture and get her BA degree in Interior Design. After several years designing corporate interiors Pam chose to develop her textile art business while at the same time raising her two children and doting on her husband, dog and cat.

Pamela Penney started her business out of her home when her children were young, designing and creating one-of-a-kind garments for women and children. Using hand and machine knits, hand dyed and hand painted fabrics with crocheted edgings and beaded embellishments, each item became a work of art. In 2003, after several years working at home, Pam opened her studio on Harrison Street in Oak Park, Illinois. This gave her the opportunity to expand the gallery space to show the artwork of several regional artists as well as offer more classes and improve her own studio working space. She continues to grow and develop her business in the vibrant and funky Oak Park Arts District just outside of Chicago, Illinois.

Artist's statement: Finding time to create is essential to my health and well being and I believe it is for everyone. That is why I feel strongly that I must share my passion with others through teaching the textile art techniques that I find so enjoyable. I’m interested in exploring a wide variety of techniques and looking for ways to incorporate them together in new and unique ways. My work combines hand and machine knits, crochet, embroidery, fabric and yarn dying, wet-felting, needle-felting and salvaged woolens and cashmeres. My credo: Don’t box me in to one technique! My current work combines the eco-friendly salvaged fabrics and the beauty of wet felted wools. I love adding a dimension of hand and machine stitching and beading to give more texture and interest to my felted pieces.

In addition to producing her own artwork, Pam has been teaching for over 25 years to both children and adults and loves to ignite the spark of creativity in others. She finds teaching is a path to continual learning for both her students and for herself.

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“Drive a nail home and clinch it so faithfully that you can wake up in the night and think of your work with satisfaction,- a work at which you would not be ashamed to invoke the Muse” -Henry David Thoreau

In our case, it would be the needle or other fiber tool. Drive it home! And, we all thank you for your words, left here to these good folks. Invoke your Muse!

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TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List is a membership organization of fiber artists and textile businesses on the web. TAFA showcases member portfolios through its website, provides access to larger markets, offers access to business resources and fosters community.